With WWE’s former corporate jet now listed for sale, JBL has been reflecting on some of the memorable moments he experienced aboard the aircraft—including one tense flight where Vince McMahon overruled a pilot’s safety concerns.
Speaking while filling in as host on Something to Wrestle, JBL recalled that the seating arrangement on WWE’s private jet never changed. “Vince always sat in the first captain’s chair. When you walk in, Vince would always sit in the one to the left of you as you walk on the plane. Kevin Dunn always sat on the right with his back, so Kevin Dunn was flying backwards. That way, he and Vince could talk about things,” JBL said.
JBL also shared a story about sneaking beer onto the plane, which prompted McMahon to make a permanent change to the in-flight catering. “Vince asked me one day, are you sneaking beer on my plane? And I said, yeah. And he said, why? And I said, we don’t have Coors Light,” JBL said.
After learning the reason, McMahon quickly solved the problem. “He goes, well, get Coors Light. So then we only had Coors Light on the plane. Vince would cater things to whatever guests. Vince was the greatest host ever. I mean, the greatest host ever.”
JBL said McMahon personally designed the aircraft’s sound system—and wasn’t shy about using it. “He said he designed it himself, so I’m sure he designed the sound system. It would blow your eardrums out,” JBL said. “Vince had a song that he liked, and he was in a good mood, which was always fun when Vince was in a good mood. He would blow your eardrums out. You couldn’t hear anything on that plane. He’d be playing the music so loud.”
According to JBL, AC/DC was McMahon’s soundtrack of choice. “He loved AC/DC. He’d get up, he’d dance to it. He’d go up and down the aisle, and just like you see him dancing on television, he can’t dance at all. But he doesn’t give a s*it. It’s like dance like nobody’s watching. That’s how Vince dances all the time. Vince doesn’t care. He just has a good time,” JBL said. “Vince is fun, man. He is so fun.”
Even after long travel days, JBL said McMahon rarely slowed down. “Vince just loved telling stories. He always talked business. That’s what was legendary about Vince,” JBL said. “When he landed, a lot of times he might talk business for the next two or three hours on the tarmac. He’d just sit there and talk business, have copious amounts of wine, and then he’d go to the gym. It’d be three o’clock in the morning. He would go to the gym after all that, after a full day of work, drinking wine on the plane. We’re just wanting to go to bed, and Vince would go to the gym. It was nuts.”
The most memorable story involved a flight into New York during severe weather, when the pilot advised against attempting to land. “The pilot comes back and tells Vince, he goes, Vince, look, I’m fearless. I’ve flown sorties in Iraq. He goes, I don’t have any fear. He goes, but I would not fly in this weather. He goes, this is bad,” JBL said. “And Vince, without even blinking, looks at me. Goes, so when you get that uniform, do you lose your balls? Like, holy s*it, we’re gonna die.”
McMahon then asked those on board for their opinions. “Brian Gewirtz is there. He goes, why is Vince arguing with the pilot? So Vince looks at me and says, Big John, what would you do? Well, Vince is gonna do whatever he wants anyway. I’m not gonna go down like a coward. So I said, Vince, I’ve had a good life. Let’s give it a shot,” JBL said. “Vince goes, well, there you go. He goes, Dusty, what about you? Dusty goes, let’s go, baby. Brian Gewirtz is like, why are you asking wrestlers their opinion about flying in an unsafe condition?”
The plane ultimately landed safely despite the rough conditions. “We landed at Westchester. We were coming down, storm, storm, storm. Can’t see nothing. All of a sudden, land, bam, hit, and we’re down. Like, holy s*it, we almost died. I don’t know if we did or not. I don’t want to exaggerate, because it was pretty bad,” JBL said. “The pilot goes back, goes, that was the roughest landing I’ve ever had. Vince says, I told you, and that was it. Vince was fearless.”
JBL also recalled another flight that featured Michael Hayes and Road Dogg, joking that the trio looked out of place aboard WWE’s luxury jet. “I remember one time they flew me, Michael Hayes and Road Dogg somewhere. Like, what are three rednecks doing on this plane? And I took a picture of Road Dogg sitting in Vince’s chair,” JBL said. “I said, I’m gonna show Vince. I don’t think Road Dogg cared, but I never did show him, because I don’t know if Vince would care or not.”
WWE’s former aircraft—a 2008 Bombardier Global 5000 with the tail number N247WE—is currently listed for $10.5 million through Hagerty Jet Group. The jet underwent a refurbishment in 2023 and features a black exterior with red accents, a 13-passenger cabin, and Starlink internet connectivity. According to the listing, all WWE branding will be removed before the sale is finalized.
